Audi A8

Comments

My RAZR talks to the car via bluetooth too; however, my address book, missed calls list, and last number called list are not showing up on the car's MMI screen. And I have had to occasionally end a call via my cell phone as opposed to doing so via the auto itself.

A couple weeks ago I went to Verizon store with the Audi compatibility list (http://www.audiusa.com/common/images/bluetooth.pdf)in hand and showed it to the rep. I told him my RAZR phone, which was only 8 weeks old at the time, needed the firmware checked to see if it had version G_0E.40.57R installed as per the compatibility list. He checked and sure enough it didn't. He called somebody in Verizon technical services who told him the new software would be ready in about 4 or 5 weeks. So Verizon rep gave me his cell number and asked me to call him in about 4 weeks so he could check on the software's release. Everything sounds good to this point until I called him yesterday and the cell number I got was wrong so I'll have to go back into store when the time comes.

By the way, my Verizon RAZR is the V3c model as opposed to the V3 model shown on the Audi A8 compatibility list. I don't know if that makes any difference or not. I did speak with an Audi A8 Advocate at AudiUSA a month ago and was told Audi has not checked out every phone out there and likely never would because there are just too many new models coming on market all the time. She told me to ask a rep in the wireless store to please accompany me to the car to see if any of their bluetooth models worked. I decided to post my question on this forum consequently because I was hoping some owner out there might have the answer through experience. Thanks for your response.

I was reading about the Mercedes, and the large Lexus 600, and the BMW, and just wondered where the Audi would be classed....I always thought of it as a sporty fairly large car, but on reflection ---it seems to be unique in that it isn`t so large...At least mine isn`t as it is the short wheel based model...The design is very sleak and other than the grill (which we like) is fit together seamlesly..On all of the above mentioned cars there is a component that just doesn`t fit in an overall way, and they (from pictures)appear either pinched in the front, or bulged in the rear, or fender flared in an exagerated way that makes them seem more lemo. like....On further reflection I am more and more pleased with the Audi, and hope they adhere to the sleek design with more powerful engines...I am afraid I really won`t pay an additional thirty or forty thousand dollars for the big engine,unless I could some way justify it...Now on the otherhand I`l be writing a much larger check to the goverment shortly, and that is the end of this story....I didn`t drive the car today so nothing to report on that subject. Tony

I think you will enjoy the "short" or "standard" (as Audi calls it) wheel base model. I have driven all Audi sizes and they each have a distinct personality. My A8 SWB has better handling than the larger ones, crisper turn-in, overall sharper handling. In city traffic, the shorter size makes a noticeable difference. Unless you carry passengers often, why put another 5" in the rear passenger area and an additional 200+ lbs. of weight on the car. The back seating area does not need it and handling suffers.

As far as the design goes, I predict the car will look less outdated in a few years than the large BMW and MBZ. But, in my opinion, the new Mercedes is already hideously ugly.

I wished upon a star that Audi would offer the W-12 in SWB, much in the same fashion as BMW does with the 760. But Audi sent us something better; the S8. The extra 5" in wheelbase does have both demerits and merits, with the latter outweighing the former. The L versions ride a bit better via a stretched wheelbase, hence the wheels are further apart to filter out road irregularities a bit better. IMO, the L versions aren't much more cantankerous to manuever than the standard models. I rarely carry additional passengers, but in the likely event(like tonight), it's nice to know they'll be in opulent comfort, not to say the spacious standard model is short on room. Another merit is the L models carry better resale values than that off their shorter counterparts, albeit not a vast amount of dough.

Demerits are logical. Because of the increased length, parking an L model is more of a "chore", and this is why Audi gave us parking sensors f/r. The body isn't as tightly wound at glance as the shorter models. And the rear doors are heavier. But thanks to Audi, I have power soft door closers.

The extra five inches on the L really makes a big difference in the back seat..I also rarely have anyone back there, but when I sat back there for a test I found it a bit close in the regular one and really big for the long one. I had the ultra Lexus and for me that was a huge waste of money, as the back was used maybe ten times in four years--make that fifteen...Just a guess...I think both the bmw and new mercedes looks o.k. but they have a `LARGE` look to them, which the Audi doesn`t have whether it is L or short (standard)...I don`t think its my opinion either, just a fact....Maybe that last sentence opens the door for Merc to blast away, but never-the-less I`m sticking with it...Tony ps My shortie drives very crisply IMO, and I`l give a report on a quick trip on the back roads up here in the mountains..

I am surprised you found the SWB to be close in the back seat. Could the front seat have been moved back during your test, I wonder? The front seats will move quite a distance. I have had two SWB A8's and have never had anything but compliments from the occasional rear seat passenger. I prefer not to haul around an additional 5" and over 200 extra pounds just for that occasional rear seat passenger.

It's interesting to me that when Audi introduced the new LWB in the US, it was the only one available. The SWB came much later. So, the LWB came to be thought of as the "NORMAL" size. With the prior model, as well as most other makes, The L version is usually released later or at the same time. By releasing the SWB later, it came to be known as the "SHORT" version, rather than "STANDARD."

In my car, abter the seat was adjusted for me, only six feet , I got in....It wasn`t really tight, but it could have used an inch or so ( seeing as the long is only five or six inches extra) My idea of inside dimensions should be highly discounted as I am only going by feel..Neverthe less the long feels really extra spacious, and the short just a little cramped...If the seat is moved forward then it is fairly spacious (but cramped) definetly for the driver....I`m with you on the extra length, due to usage....It`s gotten quite warm---HOT-- and I do notice the solar panel does work at keeping the car fresh---and works well---a nice surprise.....Tony

The weather is late spring up in the mountains of N.C and beautiful...I took the car on the back roads that use to be the main roads as the country was being developed...I sure am not what I use to be (and still imagine I am) The car drives very sporty but it get too fast to quick, and as I don`t know what around the corner, and I don`t want to wreck it, for me the extra horse power, would go to waste..Really as I set up for the curve, I really can`t hear the engine properly for my down shifs, and I am going eighty is just a few second coming out...Maybe if I drove it hard more regularly I would be able to hear and sense the enging better--but for now an extra hundred HP would be starteling.. Just to pass on --the price of gas up here is around three dollars and fifteen cents, but we found one station at three even....Tony

The A8 is not a sports car, so you will not receive the feedback from your engine and suspension that you would if it were such a car. I like to put it into perspective. This is a luxury performance car that is intended for spirited driving in comfort mile after mile, with passengers and luggage if need be. But not a car for the autocross or track.

As far as gas prices go, I thought our LA prices would be the highest, but I guess not. I paid about the same price you mentioned, today. In the traffic I drive in, mileage numbers of around 12-15 MPG are typical. But, you don't pay the price of an A8 and worry about mileage.

All things considered, it sounds as if you like your car. Glad to hear it.

All you say is true, but my point was that say four hundred fifty hp , would be wasted by me....I know it would be nice to just have, but to use it would be difficult....On occasion I just like to pretend I am what I use to be..( Senseless fool)

I have found that the gas up in the mountains is higher than any other place other than Miami---which beat everything usually.....I drove back to Charleston and the gauge says I got exactly 27 mpg at eighty and with the ac on...Tomorrow I`m going to fill it up and see how many gallons---my first real test---...Even in traffic I get around seventeen, again according to the gauge, so you must have really alot of quick start and go situations...and I really like the car, and the seats are really comfortable Tony

Put in exactly ten gallons and the milage was 255, so the mpg gauge was off 1.5 mpg....I did have to drive an extra six miles in stop and go traffic, but that shouldn`t have made that much of a mistake....the ten gallons cost 30.90...The attendant even came over to make sure the pump would work properly.. A first on that score....Tony

I am disappointed to hear the Audi on-board mileage calculator might be inaccurate by that much. Did you remember to reset it right at the start of the trip? If you did, well, so be it. We don't spend A8 prices to get high gas mileage, but it would be nice to know the gauges are correct. And, even if we don't buy the car to get good mileage, it is still good to know the car is reasonably efficient with gas while on the highway. Especially for a heavy V8 car. So, if you got 25+ MPG, that is still pretty impressive.

I`l of course give it an additional test, but I was pretty accurate this time.... When I tested out the rx 400h I noticed that the mpg reallly dropped while waiting for a traffic light...I observed this driving the bmw 530xi..The Lexus cuts offf at a light, so imo that is the good savings...Further, in my experience the larger the displacement the worse the milage....I don`t care what is advertised 4.2 gets better than 4.4.....It would seem that a turbo charger would overll get the horse power when needed and just sort of idle along when not needed or even an supercharger....The naturally asperated low displacement , too underpowered for weight of car,seems to get worse gas than a larger displacement corecct h.p engine as it doesn`t seem to have to work so hard......Any way the solar paneled blower is doing a good job, much better than would be imagined...Tony

A Phaeton parked by the house yesterday, and I must admit it is quite an attractive car...A shame they didn`t introduce it correctly...Only thing I didn`t care for was the over emphasized v w badge....I also saw a pickup truck that had had all the emblems removed...It`s uncluttered looks was surprising...Phaeton could have done that and I believe they would have had a big success, particularly if it had been priced properly...They could have raised the price later..A shame...Tony

I was invited to an auto marketing focus group discussion a few years ago to comment on the VW Phaeton. This was approximately two years prior to its market introduction. Almost everyone in the group had the same thoughts: beautiful car, many luxury features, terrific fit and finish, etc. Of course, we were not permitted to drive it, so we could not speak about that. But, virtually everyone said "Why is Volkswagen doing it? Why introduce a competitor to their own Audi A8?" The people in the group also said what you said about the huge VW badge on the front and back. Make it smaller, much smaller.

Well, as we know now, VW has quietly taken the car off the market. However, look for VW to offer some of the same features on an existing line, such as the Passat. Future Passats will be larger and more luxurious.

I know this is not the forum for VW discussions, but I was careful to mention the Audi A8 above. So I guess it is okay.

Purchased a 2000 A8L in June 2002 with Audi certified warranty. Loved the car. Then came 75K and no reverse. Have heard the warnings through this forum.....believe them and extend your warranties (if the cost makes sense). My transmission repair will run about $3400.00 (after the $570.00 it took to determine that I'd need to spend the $3400.00), from what I've read, that's not a bad deal.Big picture....the car's great, 4 of my friends purchased TT's, A6's and A8's after being in mine.....but a transmission should last more than 75K, Mr. Audi. Ironically, my wife's Vanden Plas has been more reliable. Transmissions like Audi's and MB's must be why Toyota is poised for global domination......I'll be shopping the Lexus store with a longer attention span next time.BTW, you can still get a new Phaeton even after they're all gone....according to Car and Driver, it's called a Bentley...but it's a few bucks more.

I find it very interesting that I'm achieving the same city fuel economy as you V-8 guys. The W-12 averages about 17 in stop and go traffic, but cab get down to 15 in idle. I've recorded up to 27mpg on the highway, and a high of 19 in the city on sleepy Sunday's.

What's more compelling is that this is a 6.0L, 450hp engine compared to the more compact 4.2L 335hp V-8. But I'm grateful for the economy that it get's because @ 14/19, the wifes former CLS55 was more like SUV numbers.

The W-12 is still purring along, without a hitch(knock on wood). We got confirmation from AudiUSA that the manufacturer has received our specs for the new S8 for a Oct/Nov delivery.

As for the Phaeton, this car could've really been something only if VW would've first marketed it right, and second gave it more expressive and distinctive styling as only Lexus gets away with the whole conservative thing. The interior package was Audi-grade nice, and the powertrains were exact clones(with 30 less hp in the W-12). So the packaging was spot-on, and I think people were eager to look. But VW stepped to far out of it's sensible-shoes mould and into a whole new paradigm that America and the rest of the world wasn't ready for. And yes, those emblems were way to big. They're more at home on a Toureg than a Phaeton. A small VW emblem on the grille up front would've sufficed. So all is not loss with VW's attack on the up market. The Passat will move upmarket(E/5-Series competitor) and the next addition of the upper luxury V-Dub will ride on the next gen A8, possibly in '08/'09.

Bring that car to LA stop-and-go driving and let's see what MPG it will get. Assuming my guages are returning accurate readings, I might average 10 - 12 MPH over several days of driving on surface streets with perhaps 14 MPG. That's a big maybe.

Now, when I drive Mulholland Drive to and from my home, it's another matter. Both the MPH and the MPG go up, along with my adrenaline levels. Anyone familiar with LA has heard of Mullholland and its twisty corners.

But, who cares about mileage on these cars anyway, except as a conversation starter. As my single malt drinking friends like to say, "I spill more than that."

The car has been in LA's notorious bumper-to-bumper traffic. We sat idle for almost 2 hours on the 405 due to a 15 car pile-up back in January. That's when I decided to drive the car from NY to LA cross-country, and at the same time fell deeply in love with it.

And yes I've heard of the twisty Mulholland Drive. I've driven it a many times trying to snoop on celebrities in your neck of the woods(Hey does Demi Moore among other celebs still live up there?). I'm on the west coast ofetn here lately trying to get my Newport Beach(Balboa Estates) home sold and checking on my other business ventures.

BTW, LA's stop and go is in pale comparison to the torture we New Yorkers endure. I like to look at the guages, but I think the human brain is a lot better at calculating actual mileage.

Your neighbor, like most Americans, for some reason are quite ignorant regarding Audi (except those enlightened). Audi is no way a 'lower premium brand'. This is a ridiculous perception from a global and heritage perspective. Audi has been behind the curve in the US market more of their OWN doing with a lack of attention to the US market rather than being a 'lesser' premium marquee. There is no logical reasoning to assume that Mercedes or BMW build better cars than Audi - something that has been proven over and over many times. Audi is smaller than MB and BMW in terms of unit sales globally (1.1 million vs. 830,000), but it has been growing steadily and is poised to surge in the next 10 years. If anything, Audi has come to its own once again reclaiming its heritage of building surperb, prestigous, and technoligically significant vehicles as they did prior to WWII under Auto Union and as Horch and Audi.

Obvisiouly, from posting here, I am an avid Audi enthusiast and owner. Currently, in my garage is a supremely beautiful 05' A8L W12, an '05 A6 4.2 S-Line, and a great looker - an '06 A6 3.2 Avant Premium. They have all been solid like tanks with exemplary reliability and dealer service. I have owned a BMW 745iL (though I have always had and Audi in the garage) and it just cannot match my Audis in detail, ride, feel, desire, and quality. And we know it is good vehicle. I could never get over the poor quality of the interior of the 7-Series considering the price.

That said, perception always lags behind reality. My W-12 is always a topic of conversation at car washes or my detail place. Audi is the 'quiet' tier 1 premium brand and let's its vehicles do the talking. Audi will always be for those that appreciate luxury with substance, though with Audi sales growing so fast globally, it may be more common one day than we think (just look at Europe). Of course, not in the US, where Americans are hooked on BMW and MB (Lexus -why?) like a bad drug addition.

Quite an interesting post. You're a huge Audiphile as I far as I can tell. From the looks of it, we will be the same way once our S8 gets here this fall.

The average luxury buyer here in the States are oblivious to the A8, may it be personal reasons or the fact that they can't dare be caught driving the 4 Rings in their neighborhood. I was once an Audi nut in the 80's with addition of the innovative quattro systems. But my last Audi was plagued with porblems(what car in '87 wasn't?), and thus I left the brand for a long while. With owning Lexus, Infiniti, MB, BMW, even Cadillac in the '90's, I grew tired of the same old song, and vested back with Audi in '02 when I was hit with the chance to buy the new Bangle-Butt 745iL or the then new S8. I picked the S8 for it's rarity over the still-techno loaded Bimmer. Wise decision. The S8 was great and would've kept it had it not been for a very persistant buyer trying everything on Earth to get me to sell it. Eventually I did. So now after my last two cars(a S65 AMG and 760iL), I'm back. And with the product that Audi is rolling out over the course of the end of the decade, it'll probably remain this way. Not only are the cars awesome, but both the dealer and AudiUSA's customer service has been without peer. They do things I don't even ask for. Try that at M-B.

The A8 doesn't garner the sale the other German brands do. They don't have the bling bling quotent that the others exhibit. But they are some of the best kept secrets in the biz. And for that reason, they will continue to get my buck.

Thank you for the nice reply. I am orginally from Europe so I grew up with a very different perception of what constitutes a premium marquee than Americans. For example, in Europe, as many of you know, you can buy a stripped 3-Series, C-Class, or A4-Series (say with cloth and roll-up windows!) and still it is a premium vehicle because of who builds it. There is a huge difference between what constitutes a premium marquee and what Lexus is for example - a luxury brand. My grand father owned a 1939 Horch (Audi) 951A. I've only seen pictures of it as the communists took it away after WWII and turned it into a fire truck. The car was the epitome of German luxury and status in its time. This is the heritage that Audi is seen as having in Europe, something that Americans have not had the opportunity to experience. It is really a cultural difference. I agree with you that Audi took a big dump in the 80s, yet the urQuattro is destined to be a modern classic as its desirability and price has been rising very quickly in Audi and motor sport enthusiast circles. To me a great marquee must have certain attributes: heritage, tradition, history, motor sport success, rabid following, an innate passion by owners (the core enthusiasts) along with the requisite performance, leading technology, luxury, prestige, etc. Other than the super high end cars, only Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW (modern only), and Jaguar (though I am concerned that the brand might disappear within 10 years which would be a great loss due to their heritage) constitute true volume premium marquees. Even though I have had a very good experience with AofA, I still think that they have lacked an understanding of the Audi name and heritage and thus have almost ruined the brand in the US. Luckily, someone there at AoA headquarters is waking up and starting to do something, albiet still too slow and too quiet. Inglostadt too has realized the importance of the American market if they want true global success. Audi owns China at this time and is moving very steadily in Europe to be the no 1 premium marquee (A3, A6, A4 are no 1 in their segments and the A8 is no 2 behind the S-class in Europe). So, it is an interesting time to own an Audi.

Congrats on the S8! What a remarkable car. I had a chance to see it, sit in it, and listen to the remarkable B&O sound system (it will literally blow you away!) at a private showing by Audi prior to the LA Auto Show this past January. Yet, standing outside of the S8, you cannot hear the music if all the windows are closed. Talk about tight! For my next car, my sight is set strictly on the upcoming Audi super sports car the R8. It will be expensive (above the W-12), but will definitely be rare on the road - not to mention the perfomance coming from it.

The A8 (as Automobile magazine stated once) is the most underrated luxury car in America. What a shame. It has such presence on the road. A lot of people are missing out big time! Good for us I would say. At least Prince Charles and the King of Spain own an A8 to name a few.

All is copastetic with W-12. Just returned from a trip out to the Hampton's this weekend. A little rainy, but hey, it's the Hampton's.........

I'm in huge anticipation for the S8, our eventual replacement for the CLS. MB called to ask if were still satisfied with the CLS. We replied that the car was an awesome piece of machinery that we agreed to sell at a good price while we still could do so. This did not sit well with the poor guy. He did everything in his power to get us to sign-off on a new CLS63 after he heard that we'll be giving Audi another $100k.

I think that the S8 will be a much better all-around car than the CLS, particularly cabin room and all-out luxury. True, it may not be as fast as the CLS, but it will be the better car.

No complaints. To the contrary, as my first "full sized" car, it's a beauty.I was in my friend's CLS55 this weekend, and my first impression was re-confirmed. It's much too cramped for me. While I have been used to smaller cars, this one just seemed to me a large car with a very small and cramped cabin....similar in many ways to my impression of the 845 BMW.

Anyway, in my opinion, Audi, while not KING, certainly has all the qualifications to be so.

Nice to hear from you both....When you order the s 8 I really like the solar panel fresh air system...You can`t slide the cover back, but can tilt and open it..It is an everyday type of thing that is really nice...I think I remember the w-12 is the long body and the s 8 is the shorter body like my car...As I rarely have anyone in the back seat it is fine for me, but the other day I had a third person in and it is a little snug..As Eric said the cars are right up there.

I wash my car myself and that is the best way to observe the finish, and fit...The paint is superior to any Lexus I have had, and also the Mercedes of my wife, and even her bmw which is here current car..I think the paint is thicker, or at least it appers so...On a side note I purchased a dozen eggs for fifty eight cents...Think how much trouble went into getting them to the store etc. versus a gallon of gas for three dollars plus...Tony

I was looking at the A8, bmw 750 and S class. I noticed in the Edmunds data that the Audi pollutes four times as much as the BMW and Benz. While none of these cars are great mileage machines why would I buy one that kicks out that much more pollution. I'm looking at either the Benz or he Bmw not sure which. Its too bad cause I like the Audi, but probably the right choice.